Livestock-tagging device



Oct. 6, 1925.

S. J. DOUGHERTY LIVE STOCK TAGGING DEVICE Filed Nov. 29. 1922.-

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SYDNEX J. DOUGHERT)! Patented Oct. 6, 1925 UNITED STATES SYDNEY J. DOUGHERTY, O'F MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

IuIVESTOGK-TAGGING DEVICE.

Application filed November 29, 1922. Serial No. 604,045.

To allwhom it. may concern:

Be it known: that I, SYDNEY J DoUoHnRTY. a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of the city of: Montreal, in the Province of- Q,uebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented. certain new and useful, Improvements in Livestock-Tagging Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in livestock tagging devices and the objectof the invention is to provide a device which will efiiciently tag live stock with the minimum amount of labor and in the minimum amount of time.

Another object is to provide adevice which will hold the tag, pierce the skin and flesh and securely fix the tag in position and allow for the quick release of the device once the tag is fixed.

A still further object is to provide a simple and inexpensive device which can be easily handled by the ordinary farm laborer or live stock dealer.

In my invention I provide a very simple method of marking live stock. The tag when placed in position is neat in appearance and does not spoil the appearance of the animal. The tag consists of a non-corrosive metal plate with a plurality of prongs which are pressed through the skin and flesh of the ear, or such like part, the prongs being folded over to hold the tag in position. The tagger or device for fixing the tag in position consists of a pair of faces with handles so pivoted that the said faces work by leverage against one another. One of the faces is adapted to receive the plate and is provided with a stop at one end and guide lugs on either side to position the marking plate. The other side is recessed and grooved to facilitate the closing of the prongs of the tags on the opposite side of the car from the tag.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the tagger.

Figure 2 is an end elevation with the part 2-2 Figure 1, removed and showing the tag holding means.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the tagger with the part 3-3 Figure 1 removed showing the grooves which operate the prongs or piereers and flatten them out to hold the tag in position.

Figure 4 is a sectional plan taken on the line H Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional plan taken on the line 5-5 Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a front elevation of a tag.

Figure 7 is a plan of the tag. showing in full lines the prongs engaging with an ear, and in dotted lines the position of the lugs adapted to pierce the ear.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 11 and 12 designates two levers-pivotally mounted on a pin 13, the lower portions 14 and 15 of said levers being bent to form handles or grips and the upper portions having lugs 16 and 17 cast integral with them and so shaped that when pressed together their surfaces will conform one to the other. In the drawings I have shown my preferred shape of the lugs, namely flat oblong surfaces the longer sides of the oblong being at right angles to the levers and so spaced that the centre line of the said sides will coincide with the centre line of the levers. These lugs may be made convex and concave, according to the requirements or desire of the live stock owner, to suit his particular design of tag. The lug 17 is provided with a curved stop 18 at one end and guide lugs 19 for positioning the tag 20 shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. The guide lugs are adapted to hold the tag, spaces 21 being provided to allow the tag to slip into position. The other end of the lug is left free of all obstructions to allow of easy disengagement of the lug 17 from the tag 20 once it is fixed in position. The tag is provided with lugs 22 which are sharp pointed for puncturing, under pressure, the ear of the animal. The lug 16 is provided with a recess 23 for clearance purposes, the edges 24 being the only part to come in contact with the animal. At either end of the lug 16 grooves 25 are provided and curved to bend the prongs 22 inwardly and flat as shown in Figure 7 and indicated 22*, after the ear has been pierced. The grooves are shown shallow at both ends and deep in the centre to facilitate the bending of the prongs, the points of which come in contact with the ends of the grooves when in operation. The shape of the tag 20 may be as shown, with round ends, or it may be made of any other desired shape to suit. The number of prongs may also be added to, to suit the shape and design of the tag. The shape of the levers may also be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. The operation of the device is as follows: The tag is placed into engagement with the lug 17 the guide lugs 19 holding it in position and the stop positioning it in the longitudinal direction. The prongs 22 are facing vertically downwards from the face of the lug 17. The device is then placed over the ear of the animal, so that the ear comes between the prongs-22 and the lug 16. The handles are then pressed together thus bringing the lugs together. On further pressure, the prongs penetrate the ear and engage with the grooves 25 and are flattened out following the shape of the grooves to take up a position as shown in full lines in Figure 7 To release the tagger from the tag, the handles are spread away from one another and the tagger drawn from engagement with the tag by pulling in the direction of the open end or the lug 17. The device is very simple in its action and provides a means for quickly and efiiciently marking live stock.

Having thus described my invention, what ll claim is A live stock tagging device comprising a pair of coacting rectangular jaw members,

one of said jaw members being provided at one end with an integral transversely extending projection having a curved inner surface alfording a pocket for the reception of tag having a correspondingly curved end, a pair ofguide lugs extending upward ly and inwardly from opposite sides of said jaw member at a point remote from said projection and serving to hold the body portion of an inserted tag against lateral or outward movement with respect to said jaw member, the other jaw. member beingprovided at each-end with a irelatively long and narrow recess positioned centrally with re spect to the sides of said jaw member and formed with a bottom wall curved to provide a deflecting surface for the prongs of a tag carried by the first mentioned jaw-member, whereby when the two jaw members are brought together the prongs of an inserted tag are bent downwardly toward the body of the tag and a pair of handle members pivoted together and connected to said jaws.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

SYDNEY J. DOUGHERTY. 

